Blacksburg picked as best place to raise kids

Blacksburg has been named the best place in the U.S. to raise children.

Businessweek.com made the Montgomery County town of about 43,000 its top choice in its sixth annual ranking. The website cited Blacksburg’s low crime, good schools, affordable cost of living, and cultural and recreational amenities.

Arlington, Neb., ranked second in the survey while Morton Grove, Ill., was third.

Businessweek.com evaluated 4,169 places with a crime index less than 10 percent above the national average, populations between 1,000 and 50,000 people, and median family income within 20 percent of the state median.

The website also considered educational factors (such as school scores, the number of public and private schools, and colleges), economic factors (including median family income, expenses, job growth, and unemployment), crime, amenities (such as child day-care centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, theaters, recreation centers, green space), air quality, and ethnic diversity. School performance, expenditures and income were given the most weight.

Blacksburg, the home of Virginia Tech, has a highly educated population. About two thirds of residents over the age of 25 have bachelor’s degrees or higher. Nearly 40 percent have a graduate or professional degree.